Hey Reader, If there’s one thing that’s made the biggest difference in our team's success over the years, it’s this: We listen. It sounds simple (and it is), but it’s wildly underrated. Whether you’re running a consulting business, launching a course, starting a podcast, or growing a side hustle, you can’t grow for your audience if you’re not listening to your audience. In his book Superfans, Pat Flynn calls this “learning the lyrics.” It means listening to how your audience talks about their...
12 days ago • 4 min read
Hey Reader, Back in December, I shared that I had been holding on to a SWOT Analysis Workbook for more than 6 months without sharing it out. I was waiting for it to be "perfect" or "ready." The truth is, it's likely never going to be perfect...but it can be ready. So I shared it with you and got some really great feedback. I've made some adjustments from that feedback, and wanted to share it again today. Why? Well, because what I would typically do is receive that feedback and spend another 6...
19 days ago • 4 min read
Hey Reader, I’ve started a lot of businesses over the last 20 years or so. I’ve done a lot of things. Started a record label, managed the janitorial crew of a 18 building facility for a multi-billion dollar company, sold life and health insurance, ran fast food restaurants, helped open a bar, co-owned a concert club, and launched an online marketing firm. I’ve had some successes, and I’ve had a lot of failures. Most importantly, I’ve learned a ton along the way. A little over 10 years ago, I...
26 days ago • 4 min read
Hey Reader, Did you know that more than 50% of new businesses fail within the first 5 years? It gets even worse in years 6-10. I just realized that we've had a profitable business for more than 10 years now. Has it been smooth sailing for the nearly decade we've been trying to figure this thing out? Hell no. It's been a crazy ride with more twists and turns than I could have ever expected. But, we're still here after a decade. That puts us in a category with a very small percentage of...
about 1 month ago • 4 min read
Hey Reader, Woah! You actually opened it. That's awesome! First off, THANK YOU. I don't not take it lightly that you open these emails. It means a lot. Secondly, before I jump into what I wanted to share here, I wanted to let you know...I started a separate newsletter on Substack. I know, why, right? I actually explain why in my first post over there. Some of the content will overlap with this newsletter, but a lot of it is going to be a little more raw and unpolished over there...and will...
about 1 month ago • 5 min read
Hey Reader, Before I jump into what I wanted to share here, I wanted to let you know...I started a separate newsletter on Substack. I know, why, right? I actually explain why in my first post over there. Some of the content will overlap with this newsletter, but a lot of it is going to be a little more raw and unpolished over there...and will likely explore a lot more of my life and experiences inside of, outside of, and all around being an entrepreneur. Here's the link to subscribe. Ok,...
about 2 months ago • 5 min read
Hey Reader, Woah! You actually opened it. That's awesome! First off, THANK YOU. I don't not take it lightly that you open these emails. It means a lot. Secondly, before I jump into what I wanted to share here, I wanted to let you know...I started a separate newsletter on Substack. I know, why, right? I actually explain why in my first post over there. Some of the content will overlap with this newsletter, but a lot of it is going to be a little more raw and unpolished over there...and will...
about 2 months ago • 4 min read
Hey Reader, At one point in my business, I was doing everything. And I mean everything. Well, at least I THOUGHT I was doing everything. In reality I was dropping the ball on most things. I thought if I just worked harder, put in more hours, and we just posted more, went live more, created more stuff, etc, we would push through to that next level. What actually ended up happening was.... We built something we couldn't sustain. Something that wasn't helping us grow. Something that was so...
2 months ago • 3 min read
Hey Reader, Ok, I'm going to talk about websites again, because it's on my mind. I'm currently working on a redesign for TeachBetter.com. Any time I work on our site, I think a lot about when I first started building sites, and how it can be a really stressful project for people.One of the biggest reasons people get stuck building (or rebuilding) their site is feeling like they need all the pages, all the features, and all the things before it’s “ready.”Here’s a better approach: Start with...
2 months ago • 5 min read